Category: Photos

When one talks about the fight for independent trade unions in Egypt, Qalyoubiya has to feature strongly. Though initially their involvement in the protests was not as strong as their counterparts from Giza and Daqahliya, the Qalyoubiya real estate tax collectors, led by Tarek Mostafa, the dynamic provincial organizer from Kafr Shokr, ascended strongly. Tarek’s efforts have been central in mobilizing the civil servants in his province to join the three month strike last year, and send delegations to the Hussein Hegazi Street occupation in December. Following the victory, members of the Higher Strike Committee convened to discuss its future, and whether its raison d’etre had ended. It was Tarek in specific who lobbied the committee members not to disband, and take the fight to a new phase with building a free union.

I love listening to Tarek in public meetings and social events. He’s a very charming person, and more importantly, has a clear sharp vision of what’s to be done. When he talks, he does it with passion and he wins over his colleagues smoothly to his side. Tarek seems to be among the most developed and politically able Higher Strike Committee members. Keen on coordination with other civil servants and blue collar workers, he understands well the significance of the current project he and his comrades are involved in.

Addressing them in Kafr Abu Goma’a, Tarek said:

What we are doing today is something that will change Egypt’s history forever. If we build our independent union, we will encourage other people to do the same in the government service and in the factories. We will have something the country hasn’t seen in half a century: Free unions… We are not confronting a government. These are thieves. Let’s be frank and say it as it is: They are a gang of thieves. They think they can use the tax collectors as a whip against the people, against the poor. But we will show them. We will only be a whip on the rich. We are poor ourselves. The poor are our brothers. Those we should collect taxes from are the rich, who are ruling Egypt… This state never compromised from the time of the pharaohs till today. The only time it compromised was with our strike. We are strong. But we were then acting united. We are all happy for the 325% increase. But come on, we know these are nothing. We thank God for the increase of course, but our rights have been eaten up for 34 years. This 325% is just the beginning. We need full equality in treatment with the General Tax Collectors now. They get more than 600% bonuses. We need decent retirement pensions. We need to be able to feed and cloth our kids, pay for their schools. Our sisters need paid maternal leave days. How are we going to do that? We need weapons to confront this state. We cannot carry firearms, but we need weapons. Our independent union will be one of those weapons. That will be the safeguard our rights are not taken.